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Global Score

The Engadget Global Score is a unique ranking of products based on extensive independent research and analysis by our expert editorial and research teams. The Global Score is arrived at only after curating hundreds, sometimes thousands of weighted data points (such as critic and user reviews).

A great phone, but no longer a game-changer.

The new HTC One is a great smartphone that does a lot of fantastic things. We can tell that the company listened to feedback, focused on areas that needed improvement and added some innovative new features that are actually useful along the way. The new design looks fresh and inviting; the Duo Camera's new abilities are fun and useful (a rare combination, it seems); the performance is fantastic; battery life has improved significantly; the new version of HTC Sense is even better than the last (but please, HTC, don't make "Sixth Sense" a thing, okay?); and the company continues to improve features like BoomSound and BlinkFeed. Naturally, these factors are convincing enough for us to give high marks on the new One.

The biggest problem with the M8 is that it doesn't raise the bar much higher than it already is -- and that's going to make it difficult to stand apart from competing devices like the Galaxy S5. Yes, Samsung's upcoming flagship is an iterative improvement as well, but for better or worse, the company will still sell millions of units while HTC's success remains uncertain. Duo Camera is a clever new touch, but we also needed to see improvements to HTC's UltraPixel tech; hardware that's just as easy to hold as it is to admire; and other new features that show us the company is changing the game again this year as much as it did in 2013. Keeping that momentum going is the biggest challenge a smartphone maker can face, but we fear that it's the only way HTC can stick its head above the rest of the crowd.

HTC, and its peers, have nailed the basic smartphone experience, and design is one of the few places where extra effort really shows; HTC has put in that effort, and deserves the reward of high praise for having done so.

The new HTC One M8 improves upon the HTC One M7 that I used for nearly a full year as my primary device. The competition in the hardware fit and finish has caught up to HTC though, and there are solid competitors in 2014.

The new HTC One is a very, very nice phone. It has even better hardware than last year’s model, and a few new smart and well-chosen software tricks. Some of the new software are mere gimmicks, but in the time I spent testing it, I came away more pleased then puzzled.

If you liked the old HTC One, you'll like the new HTC One, but the problem for HTC is that not many people bought the old HTC One. The One M8 will be enough to keep the company trucking for another year, but it won't change its market position.

The new One M8 is beautifully design and constructed, is fast and has a great display, uses one of the best manufacturer-customized interfaces we've seen in recent time, and delivers all that without demanding compromise on battery life.

The One is HTC's second attempt at entering the ring and it's just as impressive as its predecessor: it's beautiful, battery efficient, fueled by all the latest hardware, and that UltraPixel camera still excels in areas that other camera phones have fallen short. And guys, we really, really like it.

Overall, the HTC One (M8) is a wonderful reinvention of the 2013 handset we liked so much. There's innovation, refinement and new features aplenty that make it a shining example of a flagship device. The bar has been set high with what will be one tough act to follow.

If the HTC One (M8) isn't the smartphone of 2014, I'm very, very excited to see what the competition will come up with as this handset strikes the perfect blend of design, performance and innovation without really compromising in any area.

We love its impeccable performance, its remarkable sound quality, its great battery life and its fun camera function. Our only real beef is the lack of sharpness from the camera. All in all, HTC has hit its mark for 2014.

It may not outsell Samsung and the relentless marketing sure to follow the feature-rich Galaxy S5, but HTC executives say they don’t care. They say they just want to build a phone for people who like nice things.

Superb to look at and hold and extremely capable, the HTC One (M8) is a proper flagship smartphone. The development team behind it deserves praise for improving the strengths of the first generation while also addressing some of its biggest shortcomings.

We really hope HTC sees success with the M8. It deserves to. This is a phone that has been exceptionally well thought out, with a design that puts its rivals to shame. It boasts a clean and simple look that you rarely see from Android.

It’s a hell of a smartphone. It’s an imperfect one, sure. The camera still trades resolution for features, but the features tend to be pretty compelling, and it’s not like you aren’t able to take some beautiful shots. That’s probably our single complaint about the new HTC One.

They took what customers loved about the M7 and shoved it back into M8 with a larger screen, a slicker metal body, a dual camera, improved BoomSound speakers, and better battery life ... It may not be enough to dethrone Samsung, but it will at least keep them in the fight.

Don’t let the similar appearance fool you — everything about the M8 is new. From the design, to the materials, to the internal components and the software… it’s all new and it’s all remarkably impressive.

First Looks

Frankly, it'd be silly to have extra hardware on a phone that's completely unusable, so the Google Play edition will still take advantage of the Duo Camera functionality. Predictably, the app itself is the stock Google version, but the HTC magic comes out.

The basic equation of the HTC One hasn't changed much here, and maybe it's changed too little. While the One is still the most beautiful phone on the market, this is an incremental improvement rather than the gorgeously radical change last year's model was.

While HTC has moved the buttons from the bezel to the screen, the company hasn't done anything about shrinking the bezel. Along with the giant BoomSound speakers, the result is a phone with iPhone-like top and bottom bezels.

It’s a beautiful phone, metal clad and meaty, large and usable without being a monstrous phablet. The styling is great, the little accessories – like the hole-punched case that allows you to read the time and caller ID using an ingenious simulated LED system – are clever.

The general trend in Android devices these days is going bigger with each new generation, and the HTC One (M8) is no exception. Though it's relatively slim, the new One feels like a big phone -- largely because of its height.

HTC puts design first and you can certainly tell that with the M8 in your hand. It feels like a premium smartphone which is something Samsung has failed to achieve, in our opinion, with the Galaxy S5. The new HTC One is ergonomic, but also sturdy.

HTC, for all its challenges, has followed up last year's popular One with a promising new iteration. Albeit one that forgoes its compact luxury approach to differentiation with an all-guns-blazing mission to catch up to Samsung and Sony in terms of size and specification.

The new One, also known as the M8, is better than last year’s already impressive model in almost every respect: the design has been refined, it has a bigger battery, the processor is faster, the camera has new tricks, and the software has been made friendlier.

With the new One, HTC did not try to fix what was not broken. You get a refined experience, better specs, a sleeker design, and a nicer screen. The Ultrapixel camera received some unique functionality, while HTC did not risk anything in the software department.

The real stand-out on the new HTC One M8, however, is the dual-cameras and how they interact with the fantastic software on offer. That’s right: HTC has built two cameras into the back of the One M8 for the best goddamn depth sensing shots you’ve ever seen.

The back is now 90% metal (with the antennas built in the body to avoid blocking signal) and there are fewer parts and seams with the metal now reaching right up to the glass. If you’ve been waiting for a truly luxurious feeling smartphone, the M8 is it.

Overall our initial impressions of the HTC One M8 are positive. The device features a top-end and robust looking metal design that's packed with a variety of premium internal components, the best of which is its new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor.

Overall our opening impressions of the HTC One M8 are positive. The device features a top-end and robust metal design that's packed with a variety of top-end internal components, the best of which is its new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor.

The front of the device looks much like the original One, though HTC has opted for broader, softer curves this time around. Chamfered details around the edge and camera lenses. The device is dominated by its 5" display.

So far this phone is blazing fast at every single task I set out to perform. Camera isn't to be knocked it's pretty darn good for its resolution. Calls sound damn good, the Boomsound is something else entirely, it can actually make your ears hurt at full volume. Display is Full HD and looks...

After 10 days of intense comparison, I can honestly say the HTC One M8 is as good as (if not better than) my wife's iPhone 5s. I know some folks are put off by the 4MP camera on the HTC One, but don't be. If all you do is post your pics online, then the camera is perfect. Also, the HTC One's...

Hi people. I have recently upgraded to Htc One M8. I had the M7 previously. I used Lg G2, Iphone 5, Nokia 1520 and i also checked galaxy s5 troughly. Let me tell you, Htc One M8 is one of the best i have ever seen. I am still trying to work out how they managed to design such a beautiful phone....

This review isn't going to go into as much detail as the review Engadget did, but is more just a few thoughts I have as an owner who's used it for a couple of weeks. Furthermore, this 'review' isn't going to be comparing the phone against it's predecessor (though some shots at its competitors...

A) Hardware: HTC has built a tremendous smartphone. HTC One (M8) is beyond any expectations when it comes to build quality. HTC One (M8) has even raised the bar, even higher than 2013 HTC One. Not ONLY it's made of a single piece of premium aluminum body, it also has a relatively...

The new Gary Oldman marketing campaign epitomizes whats to love about the new HTC One, it is a phone for people who are simply looking for the best smartphone device and experience on the marketplace today. As the owner of the previous HTC One (M7) I would be the first to confess that I had...

Great phone, I'd recommend to anyone. The software isn't too heavy on top of android, the camera isn't nearly as bad as other reviews might make it seem, the screen is wonderful and the battery life is really good so far.

So we're going to be splitting up this review in a couple different parts Build Quality This phone is one of the best feeling that I have ever had the pleasure of picking up the smooth aluminum brush and the curve of the metal is gorgeous to behold as well. If you haven't had a chance go out...

It’s not just an upgrade it’s much more. Designed with excellence, crafted with premium metal, Sense that makes sense. #HTCOneM8 - @arunnechlani 1. Look n feel of HTC One M8 is the best as on date in 2014. 2. HTC One M8 comes with a premium metal body. 3. Very sleek to hold,...

First and foremost what I like about the HTC One M8 is the strong bold metallic body and the way it shines makes me feel holding something very premium and ultimate in my hand. The first impression when having a feel of HTC ONE M8 is that it is very light weight and classic smartphone. It has...

This phone is absolutely amazing. In my opinion it is the greatest phone out there at the moment, and its competitors (S5 and Sony Z2) might be watertight, and have a better all-round camera, but they get beaten on all the points that matters the most to me such as design, form factor. The stereo...

I bought this phone over S5 and am very happy with my decision.
Reasons for giving it 5 stars:
-It has a great design and build. Metal body is great and feels very premium.
-sense UI is ok; however, the optimisations done by HTC are great. The UI is super smooth and very responsive. It is even...

This phone deserves to be the best phone on the market today. Yes, it's not as innovative as the previous One but the speed has improved and the screen has gotten bigger. It has so many more little features but yet it's still pretty simple and such a fun device to use.

I have been using the One M8 for three months now, and it still feels just as current and robust now as it did on the day I got it. I had been using the original One (M7) before getting the M8, and I can say that the M8 is an improvement in every way. Although it is still not perfect, the M8's...

One would think that there is nothing much to improve upon the HTC One (M7) as it was sleek, powerful and excellence and HTC One M8 would just be an incremental upgrade that give you only a minimum performance boost or some gimmick features like some other manufacturer out there which does not...